Blindesided
by xxyesterdays-news101xx
Summary: Megan finds Kate needing a friend, Kate finds herself needing more. First Body of Proof Fic, should I continue?
1. Chapter 1

Another late night at the office, the place was empty everybody else had lives to go home to. Kate sat in her office reading through report after report, doing everything in her power to put off going home to her empty lonely apartment. Then her phone rang, "Oh Todd, Hello Hun!" she tried to sound as sweet and loving as possible, "Just finishing up some paperwork." She barely had the sentence finished when the phone cut out; he had hung up on her. Great she thought, now he is pissed off, she began to shake there was no way she could go home now. He would definitely be waiting for her. And she really couldn't be bother with the hassle of an argument, as far as she was concerned there was nothing left to fight for anymore. She had to end it but she could only imagine what her mother would say, another man that has walked out on you, she could already see the look of disgust on her face. It was because of her mother Kate often questioned whether she was the problem, maybe she really was the frigid snow queen that drives men away. It was times like these; Kate began to truly believe she was unlovable. Then again it is hard to love damaged goods.

She curled up on the couch in her office, her cup of extra strong coffee in one hand and the next report in the other. She finished off the coffee and rubbed her eyes, which had begun to sting with tiredness. Her exhaustion eventually prevailed, concentrating on the file proved too difficult for Kate, and slumber took over. She slept right through first ding of the elevator announcing someone's arrival and she didn't even flinch at the second. However what followed caused her to bolt to her feet, as Todd's angry voiced boomed through the office. "So is this what you would rather do on a Saturday night, you are a real piece of work do you know that, Kate. You know I was married before to an Ice bitch that was married to her job, and it will not happen again."

Kate had stood opened mouthed she had no idea what to say, she was shocked at how he was reacting, "Kate, are you even listening to me? Get your stuff we are going home." She finally snapped out of it, "Excuse me, you do not just get to barge into my office, my place of work and demand that I leave with you. Perhaps it is better that this is happening sooner rather than later, Todd I think you should leave, and I do not ever want to see you again. This isn't working, not for me anyway, I am done." She turned on her heel and headed for her desk when she felt a hand wrap tightly around her wrist, "Todd let me go." His grasp only tightened as she began to squirm. "You don't get it do you, I end the relationship not you. I divorced the first bitch and you and I aren't finished until I say so." Kate began to panic, she lifted her other hand to hit out at Todd but he saw it coming "No use trying to fight honey," he whispered as her pulled her closer. But that was all he could say before her knee came swiftly into contact with his groin. He released his grip for a minute but Kate had not moved fast enough. He recovered quickly and as she tried to run her caught her by the hair.

"Oh, no you don't, think you can humiliate me like she did." He spun Kate around as their eyes locked she felt his fist collide with her jaw and then her stomach. With that Ethan came storming in to the room, and without a minute of hesitation he tackled Todd to the floor. Fists were thrown but the two men eventually got to their feet, "Are you sleeping with this twerp, you little whore? You can have her," he said smugly as her saw the fear flashed once again in Kate's eyes. With that he stormed out of her office and down the hall. Ethan rushed over to her, she hadn't really moved, she couldn't believe she had just allowed a man to lift his hand to her. "Dr Murphy, Kate look at me, Kate, are you alright?" The sound of her employee's voice caused her to snap out of her daze, she looked up at him everything registering in her head. She noted his newly forming black eye, split lip and bloody nose. "Oh God Ethan, I am so sorry." She reached out and gently touched his face. "Are you kidding Dr Murphy, the ladies love a bad boy and with these new battle scars I will be the worst at this weekend's ST convention." Seeing Kate was becoming even more confused, "Star Trek, anyway Dr Murphy are you ok?" She smiled at him and nodded "Yes, Ethan I am fine and thank you, for well you know being here... By the way what exactly are you doing here?"

"Oh well Megan just called seems we have a new body, found behind the dumpster of that new Italian restaurant. They will be here any minute so I should get cleaned up." Kate cringed she didn't want anyone else seeing her or Ethan for that matter. "No, Ethan you can take the rest of the night off, I can't have anyone seeing you like this." Ethan rolled his eyes, "Dr Murphy maybe you should head home to then, as I highly doubt you have seen your own reflection yet, and that bruise on your face isn't pretty either." She turned round quickly trying to catch her reflection in the window behind her. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. "Well, the both of us can't leave and you look decidedly worse than me, so on you go home Ethan, and thanks again." He turned to leave and as he did she heard him mumble under his breath, "You can tell Dr Hunt, were I am."

About twenty minutes later she heard the elevator, it was Megan, Peter and Lacey, and Kate could see they were heading right in her direction. Megan barged in through the door and she didn't even lift her eyes off the paperwork in front of her. "Where is Ethan? I told him to meet us here." Kate answered without even looking up, "he didn't look so good, so I sent him home to try and sleep it off." She could feel Megan roll her eyes; she didn't have to look at her to know that what she was doing. "Ok, well there is my body, look I can't get in touch with Todd, so I had to bring Lacey with me, keep an eye on her for me." Kate accidently lifted her head to find Megan but she was already gone and Lacey was left standing in the door way awkwardly. The twelve year old gasped as she met Kate's gaze and she noticed the bruise on her face. Kate quickly glanced back down at her desk, she was trying to avoid the little girl so much she didn't hear her approach.

It wasn't until she felt a small warm hand under her chin, she reluctantly lifted her gaze to meet the little girls once again, and knowing there was no making excuses. When their eyes met Kate could see tears welling up in Lacey's as she ran a finger over the bruise. "He did this, didn't he, I know it was him." Kate nodded sadly and the young girl burst into tears and apologies for her father's behaviour. Kate immediately got up from her seat and wrapped her arms around her pulling her in close. "Oh Lacey, sweetheart this is not your fault, you should not have to apologise for him." Lacey buried her head deeper into Kate's side and she wince but did the best she could to hide it from her. "But now I have to ask, Lacey, has your father ever," Lacey cut her off before she could say anymore, "No, not me, never," she said with conviction, but Kate heard her whisper afterwards, "but his temper scares me." She then lead the little brunette over to the couch, Lacey still hadn't let her go. A little while late she had final got Lacey to calm down and she had fallen asleep, she knew she was going to have to tell Megan now. It wasn't long before Kate herself fell asleep to.

Megan wrapped the case up quite quickly, it turned out the guy had way too much to drink, passed out and proceeded to choke on his own vomit and asphyxiate. She let Bud and Sam know so they could inform the family in the morning. It was five am and Megan was exhausted, she made her way to Kate's office to collected Lacey. She stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Lacey and Kate on the couch asleep. But that wasn't the only thing shocked her, noticing the purpling mark on Kate's face she felt the anger bubble up inside her. "Bastard!" she muttered under her breath. She entered the room quietly and gently shook Kate awake. "Huh hum what is...Megan sorry you scared me." She said quietly aware that Lacey was still asleep, Megan knelt down in front of her. "Let's get you two home, eh?...Kate you will coming home with us ." She took the blonde woman's hand in her own and squeezed it reassuringly, "If I know Todd, he hasn't finish yet." Kate made no protest, in reality she was petrified of going home anyway, he had a key after all. She simply scooped Lacey up, so her head was on her shoulder and legs dangling either side of her waist, forgetting about her side. She winced and placed Lacey as gently as possible back on the couch. "Let me see," Kate shot Megan a look of surprise, "Don't look at me like that, let me see. I want to make sure nothing it broken." Kate glared at her now, "I am fine, I would know if something was broken, I am a doctor to you know." Kate moved to pass Megan and the woman stepped in front of her, "Hey hard-head, stop being so stubborn and let me see, please I am just trying to help." Kate sighed and lifted her shirt slightly, Megan gasped, at the sight of the dark blackening contusion present on Kate's others wise unblemished stomach.

Kate pulled her shirt down swiftly, "Kate, I am so sorry this happened to you but please don't shut me out, I am trying to help." The younger woman had turned away from her and Megan noticed her form begin to shudder, she had finally broke. She spun Kate round and engulfed her in an embrace, the younger blonder had taken her shoes off and it made her easier to comfort as she sobbed. After while Kate lifted her head off Megan's shoulder and the redhead reached up and brushed a blonde strand behind her ear. "Come let's go." Megan shook Lacey awake as Kate composed herself and they headed to the car. They arrived back at Megan's apartment about ten minutes later, Lacey hugged and kissed her mother before, doing the same to Kate, which made the blonde woman smile, Lacey was such an affectionate kid, and then she headed off to bed. Megan instinctively took a hold of the Kate's hands and led her to her bedroom, she proceeded to find something for Kate tp wear, she was about the leave the room again to give Kate some privacy but she heard the other woman wincing once more.

"Hey, hey," she muttered gently, "Let me help, go easy ok." Kate relented and let Megan help. She knelt down on the ground in front of her and took off her shoes, she then unbuttoned Kate's trousers and slide them down each leg. The only time their eye contact was interrupted was when the fabric of the t-shirt passed over Kate's eyes as Megan pulled it over her head. Once she had Kate dressed again she noticed the soft bruising on her wrist, she ran her thumb of the top of them softly. Then out of nowhere she placed a small kiss on each wrist, she heard Kate's breath catch in the back of her throat and she panicked, thinking she was going to run but she didn't. Megan had no idea where this was coming from; she felt Kate's hand under her chin and allowed her face to lift up. Her hazel brown eyes meeting ice blue, Kate then reached forward cupped Megan's cheek and slide it round to the back of her neck and pulled her in gently pressing a kiss, to her employees, soft, warm and inviting lips. Neither woman knew what was going on and neither wanted to stop but Megan pulled back and look Kate right in the eye, "We should get some rest." She then lead the younger woman up from the base of the bed and had her climb into it, she then climbed in the other side. Within a few minutes Megan could hear Kate lightly snoring; she smiled and noticed that Kate still looked breathtaking even as she snored. Megan decided there and then she would have no problem waking up to this view every morning. I thought that excited and perplexed her.


	2. Chapter 2

Kate woke the next morning to an empty bed, and yelling coming from down the hall. She jumped out of the bed and cursed under her breath as the pain from her side shot across her abdomen. "I don't want to go with you...let go of me." Todd had Lacey by the arm trying to drag her out of the apartment; Kate froze at the site of him. "I don't give a damn, you are coming home now."

"Todd you are hurting her. Let her go now!" Megan yelled furiously as she tried to pry his hand from round her daughters arm. "Megan, if you don't back off so help..." He hadn't even finished the sentence when the back of his hand collided with Megan's face. It knocked the ME of balance a little, and caused Kate to gasp. All three of them looked in her direction, "What the hell is going on here? What the hell is that tramp doing here, round my daughter?" While Todd was distracted by Kate's presence Lacey took the opportunity to break free of his grasp and rush to her mother's side. "You bitch, trying to turn my daughter against me, turn her into some little whore like you." Lacey buried her face into her mother's chest and cried, she had never heard her father speak like this. "God I hate you." She squealed at Todd.

"Lacey...sweetheart, I need you and Kate to go wait in my bedroom for me ok. " With that the little girl ran quickly past her father into Kate's arm. Without a second thought Kate scooped her up in to her arms, she may have been twelve but she was small and the pain in her side didn't seem to matter anymore. Kate shot Megan one last worried glance and then turned and headed back to the bedroom. "Get out," Megan practically growled at her ex-husband. "I am not leaving without my daughter, Megan." He towered over her as he spoke, "Todd, unless you want me to take the footage from Kate's office camera and hand it over to the police, who will then have you arrested for assault. I suggest you get your ass out of my apartment and stay well away from MY daughter. I swear to god Todd if you come anywhere near Lacey, Kate or myself, I will make your life hell, do I make myself clear?" He lunged to reach for Megan as she spoke again, "I would suggest not adding anymore fuel to the fire, Todd. You are only providing more rope to hang yourself with. Now, get out." She whispered through gritted teeth.

Todd turned on his heel and stormed out of the apartment and slammed the door behind him. Once he had left Megan thought she was going to collapse, her knees almost gave out underneath her. She had never been more scared in her life but she was not about to let him see that. She was shaking from head to toe; she took a few deep breaths and composed herself before she headed to the bedroom. She pushed the door open gently and stepped inside, as soon as she did her daughter's body collided with hers, nearly knocking her off her feet. She wrapped her arms tightly around her little girl and her tears began to fall. Kate got up from the end of the bed and approached the older woman slowly, she noticed Megan lip was bleeding a little from were Todd had struck her. The woman looked up at her as she gently used her thumb to wipe away some of the blood. Megan gave Kate a sad smile before pulling her into the embrace to. "I am so sorry Megan, Lacey, this is all my fault and I just stood there, I froze, I'm sorry." She whispered as Megan pulled her in tighter, Megan just shushed her quietly. After that Lacey was the first person to interrupt the silence, "I don't want to stay with him anymore, I don't ever want to go back there...please don't make me."

"Lacey honey ssshh! It's ok, I am not letting you go back there. Over my dead body...Hey, ok no more crying, you don't ever had to see your dad again if you don't want to, I promise." In the commotion neither of them had noticed Kate leave but she reappeared from the bathroom with tissues for them to dry their eyes. "Ok, so you girls stay here, I am going to lock the door, grab some movies , root out the ice cream form the freezer and we are going back to bed, we may even stay there all day." Kate smiled at Megan's resilience.

A few tubs of cookie dough and three awful movies later Lacey and Kate had fallen asleep; she smiled as she looked at the two of them. Lacey had taken it in turns snuggling up to each of them and had fallen asleep with her head on Kate's chest and her arm draped over her waist. She had a few quiet minutes to take in this scene before the phone rang making all three of them jump. Megan got up and ran to the living room to pick up the phone, "oh hello mother!" She cursed her mother's timing; she had a dreadful knack for moment killing. "No, nothing is wrong, it just hasn't been a great day, sorry." She talked to her mother for another awkward couple of minutes and then politely hung up. When she turned around she spotted Kate leaning against the wall with her arms folded. "Lacey is in the shower said I should tell you to order Chinese." Megan laughed; Lacey still didn't trust her mother's cooking.

She and Kate meet each other in the middle of the room. She gently placed her arms on Kate's hips. Kate reached up and traced Megans lip with her finger, "It is not as bad as it looks you know." Megan muttered as shied away from Kate's touch, she was trying not to make a big deal out of it; she didn't want Kate to feel bad, she shouldn't it wasn't her fault. However given the fact that Kate pulled away immediately she knew her attempt to spare her feelings had been misconstrued as rejection. "Hey hey, come here," she perched herself on the back of the couch and pulled Kate back to her, "All I mean is that I don't want you blaming yourself, this happened before he even knew you were here. Look, we haven't really had a chance to talk since last night but we will, tonight after Lacey goes to bed ok." Megan said as she tucked a stray blond hair behind Kate's ear, allowing her fingers to ghost over her jaw line, lightly caress her neck and gently tease her collar bone. Then she pulled the other woman into a warm embrace, "Just know I don't regret it."

The two women jumped apart as they heard Lacey coming out of her room, "Hey are we getting Chinese food?" The two women laughed as Lacey's belly rumbled, "Nearly 3 litres of ice cream and your still hungry, god I wish I could eat like I used to. Now, I look at a cheese burger and gain ten pounds." Megan and Lacey laughed as Kate pouted, "What have you got to worry about? You are bound to have men and probably women following you around like puppy dogs, "the two older woman stared curiously at the young girl, " just like I keep telling mum you are so pretty and skinny and smart anybody would be lucky to have you. Just like anybody would be lucky to have her, if she would just give them a chance, cause if she doesn't she going to end up being that weird lady whose only friends are her cats. And when she dies alone, the cats even though she loved them will start to eat her remains and..." Megan interrupted her daughter, "Ok ok enough with the cat lady thing, you watch far too much CSI, I am cutting you off." It was Kate's turn to laugh this time as Lacey pouted.

About four hours later, they had ate their way through a mountain of Chinese food, and Megan had opened a bottle of wine for Kate and herself. "Can't I just try a sip; I mean a sip is not going to do anything." Megan reluctantly allowed her daughter to take a sip out of her glass and smirked as she screwed up her face. "That is disgusting, how do you drink that?" Without even waiting for an answer Lacey rushed to the fridge for some soda to get rid of the taste. "Very easily," Kate answered as she smiled over at Megan. "Urgh, it is gross...hey you guys I think I am going to go to bed...Mum can sleep in your room, I don't really want to sleep on my own." Megan got up from the couch and gave her daughter a hug goodnight and kiss on top of the head, "Of course you can sweetheart, go get your pyjamas on and climb on into my bed."

With that the 12 year old skipped out of the room, then came skipping back in, "Is there something wrong, Lace?" Megan asked. Kate was on the couch and had her back to the little girl; she craned her neck to see her, "No, nothing's wrong...I just forgot to..." With that she wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck from behind and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, "Night, Kate." Kate then turned around propping herself up on the chair to allow her to embrace Lacey properly. "Night, Lace." She said as she too placed a kiss on Lacey's head. "I think you may have the sweetest daughter in the world." Megan smiled as she settled herself back in the couch beside Kate, who had begun to play absentmindedly with her hair. "Yeah, she is a keeper." The two women laughed. "So about last night, you said you didn't regret it and the only thing I have really been able to think about all day is kissing you again." The proclamation flew out of Kate like word vomit; she cursed herself for being so forward. "Wow, you really just jump right in don't you...truth is, it is all I have thought about all day too." This time is was Megan who reached over and allowed her thumb to glide over Kate's cheek. She then moved so her legs were underneath her and she turned to face Kate dead on.

She noticed Kate swallowing nervously, "Megan..." Kate finally forced out. To Kate's surprise, when Megan looked up to answer it, her eyes seemed darker. With lust, and with something else, too - like grief. Or doubt. She didn't say anything, but she nodded. That was all Kate needed. It was her thumb she moved across Megan's mouth then. Slowly. Tracing the dips and peaks of her inviting lips. "You have the most beautiful mouth." Kate whispered to Megan. And then she did what she had been waiting to do the entire night. She kissed her. They kissed in the in the position they sat at first, because that is where it had begun. It was the night they tasted. And each other. Starting slow, and slowly faster, their mouths met; first polite and refined, then affectionate, curious; and finally, as their tongues wandered and hungered, their mouths became wide and their desires wider, and they began to find each other with a an urgency that summoned to mind the word 'devouring.' Hands moved through each other's hair, and gradually their bodies drew closer, a pillow was moved, a body shifted. Eventually Kate had Megan pinned to the couch as hand their hands roamed each other's bodies, it felt like electricity was running through their veins, soliciting low guttural moans from both women. And as much as she was enjoying this and the throbbing between Megan's thighs didn't lie, she pulled back. Kate looked down at the woman in confusion, "God I am so sorry but I think we should stop before thing go too far."

Megan couldn't ignore the hurt look that flashed over Kate's face, as she pushed herself off Megan and back into the corner of the couch. Megan was sure Kate's doubts were rearing their ugly head again so she pushed herself up, throwing her leg over Kate's, so that she was straddling the younger blonde woman. She placed her hands either side of her face and made Kate look at her. "I need you to look at me when I say this and know that I mean it, par t of me is kicking myself for not throwing caution to the wind and quite frankly letting you have your way with me but I really like you Kate. And this is complicated as it is, I just don't want to screw it up by jumping into the deep end." She pulled blonde to her for another searing kiss and then leant in to whisper in her ear, "And believe me, no one has ever, ever got me that hot, ever. So it is very hard me to say, but I think we need to learn how walk before we run." She pecked Kate on the lips one more time before pulling back and dropping her hands to Kate's shoulder. "You're right, god this could be messy and maybe taking it slow is the best idea." Kate agreed.

"Ok then, I think it is time we head to bed." Megan got off Kate's lap and offered the other woman a hand. "I can sleep on the couch, since Lacey is in your bed." Kate smiled, "Don't be silly, my bed was big enough for all of us this afternoon, it is big enough for us all now." She pulled Kate off the couch and led her to the bedroom. Where they found Lacey right in the middle of bed, the two women laughed. They changed quickly in the bathroom and as Kate took off her make up in the mirror Megan slide her arms around her waist from behind and placed kisses along Kate's now bare shoulders. Kate smiled and turned to face Megan capturing her lips one last time before sleep. They re-enter the bedroom and climbed in either side of the sleeping brunette. Lacey woke a few hours later and smiled, her mother's head was rested on her shoulder and her arm draped over her middle, on one side and Kate was doing the same on the other. She happily snuggled down further between the women and found herself thinking about how cool it would be if Kate and her mom were dating. She smiled mischievously to herself, her mind was made up, two moms was much better than one, she had to get them together somehow.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning it was Megan who woke up alone, but this time there was no yelling and screaming, no fighting and most importantly no Todd. The only thing that filled the room was the smell of breakfast. She glanced across the bed and found Lacey fast asleep in the foetal position. Megan smiled and stretched, before getting out of bed, putting on her robe and heading to the kitchen. As she turned the corner in to her kitchen/living space, she stopped and leant up against the wall taking in the scene in front of her. Kate was in her kitchen, covered in flour, tossing pancakes and to Megan's surprise singing, beautifully.

Megan stood there for a few more minutes taking in the words of the song. _"Cause to them it makes no difference. It just keeps on keeping time. 'Cause it ain't gonna stop the world, no. But it'll be the end of mine._" She watched the other woman move round the kitchen with ease, like she had been there before and she felt a little weak in the knees as she listened to her sing, god was there anything this woman couldn't make sexy. Eventually she couldn't just stand there anymore; the urge to feel Kate's body close to hers once again was too much.

She quietly snuck up behind the blonde and gently wrapped her arms around her waist. She instantly felt the woman tense, she realised she probably shouldn't have snuck up on her. "Hey good morning!" She felt Kate relax completely after she heard her voice, "Oh I wanted to surprise you." Kate was pouting Megan could tell, "You did surprise me, especially with that wonderful singing voice." Megan chuckled she could see that Kate was blushing in the reflection of the cooker. With that Kate turned around to face her, her arms draped lazily around Megan's neck, "And exactly how long have you been standing there." She leaned in and kissed Megan it was soft but lingering.

"Long enough, to practically swoon as you sang, who knew?" Kate laughed and the blush on her cheeks grew deeper. "God, you are even sexy when you blush, how is that fair?" This taking it slow thing was going to be hard on both women. Their lips meet again this time in a much more urgent manner, Megan felt Kate cup her face and pull her deeper into the kiss. Her hands trailed teasingly up Kate's thighs, resting on her hips, she gripped tight as the intensity of the kiss rose. Before either of them really realised what was happening, Kate had helped Megan into a seated position on the kitchen counter.

Now it was Kate's turn to tease, trailed her nails up the side of Megan's stomach, until she finally reached her breasts. She kneaded them playfully, earning a moan of pleasure from Megan. It was Megan who broke the kiss first; the oxygen deprivation was getting to be too much. Kate looked right into her eyes and smiled, "Good morning!" Megan giggled as she dropped her head to the other woman's shoulder in frustration. "You make very hard to say no, you realise that right?" Megan mumbled into her shoulder. "We kind of need to talk, something we didn't really finish doing last night." Kate expression turned from a lustful stare to a worried glance.

"It is nothing to worry about, still no regrets on my part but there is the little issue of Lacey. I mean she is twelve, she's not a baby and really don't like lying to her. It could come back to bite me on the ass. I think in a situation like this we need to be completely honest with her. Are you ok with that?" It was Megan's turned to worry when Kate didn't answer immediately, "Megan, I...what happens if she doesn't react well. I mean would that mean the end of this, us whatever is going on here." Megan reached over and took Kate's hand in her own, intertwining their fingers and pulling her back into her embrace. "Hey, hopefully that is not a bridge we have to cross, and no, it would not be the end of whatever this is. Lacey might not like the idea to begin with but eventually she will come around." Kate made an attempt to protest again but was silenced by Megan's lips on hers. But the kiss was short lived as she two woman heard Lacey stumbling out of the bedroom, they sprang apart and Megan jumped down from the counter. "Mmmm I smell pancakes!" Lacey practically sang as she came around the corner. "Good morning, sweetheart how did you sleep?" Megan pulled her daughter in for a hug, "Pretty good actually, best I have had in a while." Megan laughed as she heard Lacey's stomach rumble, "I think you have worms, you know, that would explain why you are never full." Lacey scowled at her mother but burst out laughing as it happened again. "Morning Kate!" Kate spun round with the frying pan still in her hand, "Morning Lacey, I would ask if you were hungry but I think that is a silly question." Kate jumped a little as she felt Lacey's hand close around her arm, "Please don't ever leave, Mum thinks a bran muffin and a glass of OJ is an appetising breakfast." The taller woman laughed at the little brunette and again at her mother who now scowled at her.

Twenty minutes later, breakfast had been eaten, everything cleared away and the three women sat in the living room watching the ten o'clock news. After it was over Megan look over at Kate, signalling that now was as good a time as any, Kate just nodded in response. "Hey, Lacey I need to talk...actually Kate and I need to talk to you about something." Megan spotted the confused look that flashed across her daughter's face. Little did she know that right at that very moment Lacey was thinking about how cool it would be if her mother and Kate were announcing that they were together. "Ok, what's going on?" Then to Lacey's surprise she noticed Kate reach across and take her mother's hand. This was really happening, why else would they hold hands, my god she going to have fun with this. "Mom, you are worrying me! What is going on?"

"Well sweety, something has happened between Kate and I and we were wondering, what you think about us maybe...being...um a couple!" In Lacey's head she couldn't have been happier but she also couldn't miss this opportunity to mess with her mother. "What are you talking about?" She glared her mother rather convincingly she thought to herself. Just as her mother was about to say something, she interrupted her. "You have got to be kidding me, as if I am not screwed up enough. You have to add into the mix my 46 year old mother going lesbian. Jeez, this is so messed up and with dads ex, mom god this is crazy." And with that she stormed out of the room, she tried so hard not to laugh as she did. Back in the living room Kate had wrapped her arm around Megan's shoulder and pulled her close; the woman was still in shock she hadn't moved. What Lacey had just said was swimming round in her head, what was she going to do.

The bigger surprise came when the two women felt an arm wrap around each of their necks, "You know I would be a really awful daughter if I meant anything I just said." But Lacey smile faltered as she looked down and saw tear droplets on her mother pyjama bottoms. She let both of them go and rushed round to sit beside her mother on the couch. "Oh mom, guess those acting classes are really paying off." She threw her arms around her mother, "I am so sorry mom I was just messing with you, I think you and Kate together is a great idea. I am so sorry if I hurt you." Megan burst into tears again and squeezed her daughter tight. Lacey lifted her head from the crook of her mother neck and looked up at Kate, "What are you waiting for, get over here!" Extending her arms and drawing Kate into the hug to. "So you are really ok with this, I mean we don't even really know what this is but you... if it is a problem we can work someth..." Lacey placed her hand over her mother's mouth. "Are you listening to me, nod for yes." Kate laughed as Megan complied and nodded. "I am only going to stay this one more time. You deserve to be happy mom and if that happens to be with Kate then, right on! You shouldn't let anyone stand in the way of something special, this is your life not mine and not anyone else's. The only thing I have to say is to Kate. Is, you hurt her; I will hire someone to hurt you. Because you scare me and I am pretty sure you could take me. That is not a fight I would win." All three women laughed now. "God I am so lucky to have you. And you are so lucky you are good with words, because there was a split second there, in which I was going to murder you for messing with me like that."

The rest of their morning was spent on the couch all three of them curled into each other watching awful mid morning TV. All of them happy and content for now!


	4. Chapter 4

"Thanks for coming so quickly, mom!" Megan greeted her mother at the door, still angry about the fact that her day off with Kate and Lacy had just been ruined by an "urgent" case at least that is what Curtis had called it. "Kate and I have been called in, we are both supposed to be off but something has come up." Her mother smiled and nodded, "Its fine Megan, I wasn't doing anything. Is everything alright? Wait a second, Megan, what happened to your face?" Megan cringed "I will explain later, mom I promise. All you need to know now is if Todd comes to the door, do not answer it."

Her mother was about to say something else when Lacey came flying round the corner and wrapped her arms around her grandmother's waist. "Well, hello to you too, sweetheart." Joan then looked up to see Kate coming around the corner, "Kate what... I didn't know you were...ah here." There was no disguising the bruises on Kate's face either, "Joan, lovely to see you again," she smiled and turned to Megan, "I think we should get going, Curtis did say this was an emergency." Megan rolled her eyes; Curtis thought that it was an emergency when they ran out of peanut butter in the break room. Lacey hugged both her mother and Kate and the two women then hurried out the door.

Both woman sat in silence as Megan drove them to the office, neither one of them knowing what to do. It was ok when they were shut up in Megan's apartment, locked away from the outside world but out in the open was a different story altogether. Kate was trying to push it to the back of her mind though; she was really beginning to worry about the case.

She couldn't understand why Curtis was being so cryptic. She had zoned out and was completely oblivious to the fact that Megan was talking to her, until she felt a warm hand wrap itself around her own. "It is going to be ok, I am sure Curtis is overreacting." Kate smiled weakly, hoping Megan was right. They arrived at the morgue a few minutes later. When they reached their floor Kate went one way and Megan went the other, "Megan, where are you going? Curtis asked to see us first." It was clear that Kate was in Dr Murphy mode and so Megan decided it was time to kick start Dr hunt mode too. "I have a job to do, so am going to go do it. If it really is that important the quicker it is done the better."

Before Kate could say another word Megan was gone, she rolled her eyes and preceded to Curtis's office, she knew fighting with Megan was futile. She knocked on the door and Curtis waved her in, "What is going on, Curtis" She could tell from the look in his eye that it was bad, "Where is Megan?" Curtis asked concerned, "She went straight to the morgue, didn't want to waste any time." She watched as the man dropped his head in his hands, "Aw Damn! Look Kate, the person in the morgue...the victim...its Dani Alvarez."

Kate looked up in shock. "She was supposed to meet Peter at a bar but when he got there she stormed passed him, he said she was disorientated, she stumbled out into the middle of the road and she was hit by an oncoming car. All injuries were non-fatal but she had a seizure and then just stopped breathing, COD is still unknown." After being filled in on the details Kate rushed to the morgue and found Megan standing over Dani's body, "What do you think happened" she asked as Megan looked up at her. "Slight jaundice, Peter could be right, if Dani had a seizure she could have been drugged." Kate approached the table, "Ethan has been assigned for now."

Megan looked up to see the young doctor enter the room, "Are you going to be ok to do this?" she asked genuinely concerned, "Is anyone?" Kate smiled sympathetically at him. "Peter has been told to take as much time off as he needs." Megan had begun to examine Dani's hands and contusions most likely caused by the accident. "Didn't I just see him in his office?" Megan stopped and looked up at Kate. "Oh yeah apparently he has been here since six am, bar receipts and video surveillance in hand." Megan had begun to examine the body further, "Good!" Kate was taken aback by Megan's comment, "Megan he's in shock, not even shock, he is in full blown denial." The older ME snapped back. "He is angry, wouldn't you be? If it helps us solve the case any sooner I am all for it!" Ethan quickly interjected the last thing he needed to happen was for a fight to break out. "Peter showed us the surveillance tapes, some creep spiked her drink."

"Curtis has Bud trying to track him down. He just needs cause of death." Ethan stopped mid photo, "It wasn't the SUV?" Megan lifted Dani's top to reveal a rash on her abdomen. "This rash didn't come from getting hit...Whatever that creep gave her was attacking her before she was hit...this isn't your garden variety date rape drug... this is a hell of a lot more powerful."

It wasn't long until Bud had tracked down the suspect Marcel Trevino, but when he too collapsed in interrogation from the same symptoms as Dani, the case seemed to be taking a turn for the worst. Kate, Megan, Bud and Peter all followed the ambulance to the hospital. "So our only witness is now comatose." Kate stated as she watched the nurses hook Marcel Trevino up to a drip. "Witness you mean suspect." Peter angrily corrected her. "I mean we don't know what he is!" Peter looked disgusted with his boss, "the symptoms are identical, and he probably got a taste of his own poison."

The awkwardness of the situation was interrupted by Megan, "Pulmonary oedema, Tonic clonic seizure activity, not symptoms of a date rape drug...was he perspiring in interrogation?" Megan directed her questions to Bud, "They all do!" Megan's head hung low, "Peter I am sorry to have to ask this but do think that Dani could have been involved with this guy...she might have got it from him." Peter shook his head, "I don't know I hope not."

"You think he spiked a fever," Kate questioned, "It's a theory, what if it is not a poison but an infection." Megan saw worry flash over Kate's face, "then there would be a lot more sick people." With that doctors burst into the room with another patient rushed in for the ER. Suddenly their surroundings become clear, as they looked from one patient to the other it was clear they all had it, the four of them stood still, glued to the floor with fear. "Oh my god they've all got symptoms, this wasn't a poisoning." Kate breathed out as she leant on the glass partition, she told herself it was to get a better look but deep she knew it was because the case was getting more and more dangerous and it felt like her legs were going to give out on her. She turned to the only person she knew she could find solace in, unfortunately Megan had no words of reassurance "We better get the morgue ready, I think we've got an outbreak!"

Megan and Kate rushed back to the morgue to be met with 3 new bodies, all presenting with similar symptoms, but bar the fever it didn't seem like cause of death was in any way similar. A heart stopped at mercy, difficulty breathing and coughing blood, followed by seizures. They had yet to determine Dani's cause of death, "Someone say something?" Ethan looked so defeated, tears began to well up in Megan's eyes, and she knew it was up to her to say something. "We will all miss Dani, the best way that we can honour her and all of these people, is to do our jobs and find cause of death."

"We need to find out where all of our victims have been, when they first started showing symptoms and most of all who got sick first. Patient zero." For Kate she couldn't focus on anything but the case or she was going to crumble, she had tried to convince herself otherwise but she knew that this was more that they could handle. Megan was going to hate her for what she had done but she didn't know what else to do. She had zoned out again, she could see that Megan was talking again but none of the words were getting through. And then as if right on cue, the door of the lab burst open.

"Couple of airlocks... one here and one here. A BSF3 cabin set up, move man, a new auto clamp and swap this table out." Kate hung her head, government idiots can never come into a situation gently, "Hey...Hey nobody is swapping out anything without my approval." Kate stepped in quickly to avoid confrontation, "Curtis... I am Dr Kate Murphy." The man Kate was addressing stopped what he was doing, "Sorry introductions, rude...very rude. Dr Charlie Stafford, with the Centre for Disease Control." Kate could see that Megan was already pissed. When she found out it was Kate that contacted him in the first place, invited him and that he was kicking them out of their lab, she thought the anger was going to boil over. Once Dr Stafford had them cleared from the lab, they went straight to de-contamination. Megan hadn't said a word to Kate until they reached the other side to change into the outfits provided by the CDC.

Kate had attempted to step into the cubicle beside Megan but the redhead had grabbed her arm and pulled her into hers. "You have got to be kidding me, Kate... You couldn't have at least ran this by me, before you got me kicked out of my own lab." Kate rolled her eyes, "Megan we were in over our heads, and you know it. What if this thing is airborne and we are already ill? I mean my god Megan, four people are dead already and there are more to come, you said that yourself. I mean what if it is one of us, on one of those tables next." For once Megan saw past Dr Murphy her fearless and driven boss, to Kate her very scared and upset girlfriend. "Hey hey, everything is fine, everything is fine...Come here." She opened her arms and Kate practically fell into them. "I mean if we were going to get sick it would have happened by now." With that Kate pulled back from the hug, "God damn it Megan, can you for once in your life admit that you have no idea what this is, what it does and how these people got it. We have no idea how this effects someone, one person could be very different from the other."

Kate turned very swiftly on her heel and stormed out of the cubicle, she loathed the 'God Complex' Megan conveyed a lot of the time. She could tell that Megan was right behind her, as she dropped her gown into the contamination bin. She also knew that 'I am sorry' wasn't often heard coming out of Megan's mouth. Megan herself was fuming now, how dare Kate, this was their case. They spent the next hour and a half in the isolation area of the de-contamination zone, and Megan insisted on yelling constantly about how they were fine. Once they were released from the contamination area, Megan really got into it with Dr Stafford. And of course in true Dr Hunt fashion, she somehow got herself back on the case. And within the hour of that happening she had the rest of her team to.

She merely texted the rest of the team but she went looking for Kate personally. She found her in the break room all alone. "You didn't head home?" Kate looked up from where she sat, "No I was waiting for you. Besides I am not sure home is any safer for me than here, thanks to Todd." Megan shuffled in the room a tad more, dragging her feet, the sting of an apology at the back of her throat. "Kate, I'm...I'm ...oh for the love of.. I'm sorry ok! And ... you are right I need to learn when to admit that I don't know something." The blonde ME looked up in shock, "well well how did those words taste?" Megan cracked a smile, she couldn't resist the smile on the beautiful blondes face in front of her, it could light up a room. "Like vinegar!"

Kate stood up and the two women approached each other slowly, "I am sorry too! You were also right, you and the boys had a right to know that I had called the CDC and..." Kate fell silent when she felt Megan's arms circled her neck, seemed to be that if that woman came within a few inches of her she couldn't breathe. "Mmmm.. I apologise..." she blanked as she felt the feathered touch of Megan lips on her neck. "For that... Megan...oh just kiss me ok." Kate couldn't take it anymore; Megan nibbling on her earlobe had sent her over the edge. Megan happily obliged and threaded her fingers into Kate's hair and pulled her in for a searing kiss.

The two women broke the kiss seconds later, breathless and flustered. "Not once the whole time, that I was married to Todd did he ever apologise, so neither did I. But with you, I want to... no I need to because I can't stand you being angry with me. "Kate smiled and placed another quick kiss on Megan's lips, "Well you can show me how much you appreciate it later, are we back in?" Megan looked at Kate confused, "How did you?" Kate laughed, "It is you Megan, only you could persuade someone they needed our help...only you are that stubborn." The two women laughed and left the room holding hands relishing at how well they fit together, but casually dropped each others as they got closer to the morgue. And as they entered they helped each other on with their haz-mat suits, taking one last longing glimpse before entering the now somewhat fuller morgue.

Body count had doubled over night, but it seemed like they had found their patient zero, John Kim, whatever he had, he had it in spades. Then a video was flagged by youtube and sent to Bud, Megan and Stafford realised at that point that it was not a just an epidemic, it was in fact an act of terrorism. After this was discovered a meeting was called and everyone was brought in for an update, where they all found out that the FBI was also involved and apparently in charge as well. For the hours following Sam and Bud sat down with the families of the victims and tried to piece together their last few days. Megan and the team worked on cause of death.

"You are looking at Neisseria meningitides, rare strain." Megan announced as Agent Johnson approached. "We have positive Id, it fits all symptoms." Megan rolled her eyes, "In one patient, we found the organism in one patient only; we need to confirm it in other cases." It was Charlie Stafford's turn to roll his eyes. "Negative, how is it spread?" Agent Johnson interrupted Megan as she began to speak again, "It's aerosolised!"

"Damn its airborne...I'll start spreading the news, you start treating the bug."

It seemed their little truce wasn't to last long, when Kate agreed to go on TV to make an announcement, one that would give the public false information. They got into again the lab, while Kate was stitching up a body. The argument got heated and Kate stopped paying attention for a millisecond, but was brought soaring back to reality when she felt the needle pierce her skin. Kate couldn't believe what she had done, she finished up what she was doing and rushed to the sink, taking off her gloves to reveal the pin sized prick on her finger. Her heart sank; all that talk with Megan about someone ending up on the table and it turns out it was going to be her.

For the next few hours Kate checked her own temperature regularly but it didn't help that Megan had just disproved the airborne theory and confirmed that it is in fact spread through body secretion, blood, sweat, saliva etc. After another blow out between the two women over the press conference again, Kate broke down, she was so scared and Megan was making impossible for her to tell her. By the time of the press conference Kate was running a high fever, she was sick and she knew it. And everyone else knew it when she collapsed on the stand. "She is going into circulatory collapse...I need an EpiPen!" A policewoman and another man stepped forward with one each, "I need both," Charlie questioned Megan, "One is not going to do...one my count 1, 2, 3." Almost as soon as the EpiPen was used Kate breathing evened out. "Oh Thank god," Megan had never been more scared in her life; her heart was beating like a bass drum against her chest. Kate was sick; the realisation hit her like a steam train. "Megan..." she looked down as she heard the woman whisper her name and tears were in real danger of escaping her.

The ambulance arrived soon after and Megan had not left Kate's side, "Hey, don't you die on me. I will not lose you, ok?" All she wanted to do was lean over and kiss her, but this disease was preventing her from doing anything. But she was damn sure she had all the incentive she needed to figure out what the hell they were dealing with.


End file.
